Tom Manyguns Artwork

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to let us know how much they enjoy BTCA’s new sculpture, which was commissioned from local artist Tom Manyguns.

Tom shared the following information with us about the inspiration behind his art piece:

“In this piece of art work I have created, I really wanted to symbolize and bring out the medicine wheel as a topic of discussion and also provide a learning opportunity for anyone viewing the piece.

In First Nations culture, we pray to the four directions and I wanted to represent the four directions with four feathers, each with their own spiritual animal and the four colours of the medicine wheel. There are many different interpretations to the medicine wheel among many tribes which I wanted to express in this piece, each of the four colours symbolizing many different things. The number four is spiritual to many First Nations tribes, as it represents things such as the four seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter, the four human needs: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual, the four kingdoms: animal, mineral, plant, and human, and the four sacred medicines: sweet grass, tobacco, cedar, and sage.

I wanted to share my own Interpretation that I hold close to my heart which is what I brought out into my art piece. Each of the four feathers has their own guiding spirit; Piita (Eagle), Kiaayo (Bear), Iinii (Buffalo), and Makoyi (Wolf). I specifically chose these animals for each feather because they are the ones that have their own spiritual song that I have heard and experienced in ceremony. When you talk and sing their song, they come and help. They each have their own gift and work for the Creator to help and heal once called upon. These spiritual songs aren’t just given to anybody, but those who pass their tests on vision quests.

Each feather has the four colours of the medicine wheel on it that you can notice from a distance, sending a message to anyone who sees it, that they are welcome and invited to share or learn what it represents. It also shows respect to the native land, acknowledging that it is on Treaty 7 territory.

My hope is that this piece of artwork will be a conversation starter to anyone who looks at this piece, whether they have their own meaning of the medicine wheel or not, and bring many different people with different cultures and backgrounds together to converse, share, and learn about each other’s interpretations of the medicine wheel because there is not just one interpretation of it, there are many.”

 — Tom Manyguns